President Salva Kiir Mayardit returned to Juba on Friday after concluding a week-long visit to the Bahr el Ghazal region, during which he attended public rallies and urged citizens to support peace efforts, invest in farming and prepare for general elections scheduled for December 2026.
Kiir visited Wau, Kuajok and Aweil, as well as his home village of Akon in Warrap State. Although he described the trip as a private visit, he used public gatherings to call for continued support for peace and preparations for the planned elections.
Upon his arrival at Juba International Airport, Kiir was received by Vice President for the Economic Cluster James Wani Igga and other senior government officials, including his daughter Adut Salva Kiir, a senior presidential envoy.
During rallies in the region, the president encouraged citizens to engage in agriculture and reiterated the government’s commitment to holding elections in December 2026.
However, residents and civil society activists in areas visited by Kiir told Radio Tamazuj that the government must do more to address longstanding shortages of basic services.
Abuk Azuber, a resident of Aweil Center County, complained about a lack of schools, healthcare and clean water, saying the area’s population has grown as people from Aweil West, Aweil North, Aweil South and Aweil East counties moved there for farming activities.
“We do not have schools; we do not have water facilities, although the population of Aweil Center County has increased because dwellers from Northern Bahr el Ghazal State’s counties of Aweil West, Aweil North, Aweil South and Aweil East migrated here for farming activities,” she said.
“The three-month medical consignment donated by the Government of South Sudan and partners gets finished in less than a week.”
Malong Bak Malong, first deputy chairperson of the Northern Bahr el Ghazal State Civil Society Network, urged Kiir to fulfill promises to improve infrastructure by funding road links between Northern Bahr el Ghazal and the national capital.
“I urge the president to fulfill the promises he made to the people of Northern Bahr el Ghazal State by connecting Aweil with the national capital, Juba, through the Juba-Bahr el Ghazal Road because we are still suffering due to the lack of safe roads,” he said.
Bak also called on the president to revive plans for the construction of the University of Northern Bahr el Ghazal, which he said had been promised previously but had yet to materialize.
“I also urge the president to reconsider the project of the University of Northern Bahr el Ghazal State. We heard there was a promise from him to build the university, but nothing has materialized up to now,” he added.
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